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palmer worm

noun
  1. the hairy black and white caterpillar of the goldtail moth

Word Origin for palmer worm

C16: originally applied to various destructive caterpillars of migratory habits
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Examples from the Web for palmer worm

Historical Examples of palmer worm

  • Chætochilus pometellus, (Harris), is commonly called the Palmer-worm.

    American Pomology

    J. A. Warder

  • The first is in Joel i. 4: "That which the palmer-worm hath left, hath the locust eaten."

    Bible Animals;

    J. G. Wood

  • The Jewish Bible retains the reading of palmer-worm, but affixes the mark of doubt, as it does to the canker-worm.

    Bible Animals;

    J. G. Wood